Sunday Parish Bulletin, 1/10/2021-St. Demetrios, Elmhurst

The

Greek Orthodox Church

St. Demetrios

Good Afternoon,

Family & Friends of

The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrios

St. Gregory of Nyssa as a Model for our Lives

(January 10)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

St. Gregory was Bishop of Nyssa, a small Diocese, which, however, showed itself to be great and glorious by the holiness of his deeds. He was born in Neocaesarea of Pontus in 335 of pious parents, Basil and Emmelia. He studied in Neocaesarea and Caesarea. Due to the death of his father he was unable to continue his studies in Schools outside of his homeland, like his brother Basil the Great did. He studied under the sophist Libanius, but a systematic education he received by his brother Basil the Great, his mother Emmelia, his sister Macrina, and his grandmother Macrina who was a student of St. Gregory the Wonderworker, who had appeared in a vision to Saint Gregory of Nyssa and recited to him the Symbol of Faith (The Creed) which he drafted.

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Sunday after Theophany

From Holy Cross Monastery 2016

(A Monastic Community of the

Russian Orthodox Church Abroad)

In the Gospel reading today, on this Sunday after Theophany, we hear the very first sermon that Christ ever gave in his public ministry: “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand!”

With just these few short words, Christ begins His earthly ministry, and he summarizes all of the Gospel that is to come. Yet the first word He says is “repent.” “Repent” in the original Greek literally means to “change one’s mind – to change one’s heart” and to “turn God-ward.” In order to see Christ and to believe in Him, we must repent. In order to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, we must repent. In order to take even the first step, we must repent.

Repentance is not a one-time thing, or some grand, romantic gesture. We who sin almost continually – if not in our actions, then in our thoughts – must constantly turn back to God and repent. To repent, we must die to ourselves and live to God. And we must die daily. And many times daily. Maybe thousands of little deaths each and every day – but death to sin and death to death. Repentance is a death that brings life! This sense of paradox is captured quite wonderfully in a quote written on a wall in St. Paul’s Monastery on Mt. Athos which says: “If you die before you die, then when you die, you will not die.”

Epistle Reading (1/10/2021): Ephesians 4:7-13

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Gospel Reading (1/10/2021): Matthew 4:12-17

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St. Demetrios Parish Information

PLEASE READ OUR UPDATED GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDING

This Week at St. Demetrios

* As a courtesy reminder, it is necessary to call the Church Office to register

for an upcoming service.

Live-streaming is offered on Sundays for Orthros and the 1st Divine Liturgy.

Sunday, January 10th

ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΜΕΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΦΩΤΩΝ

SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

Όρθρος, 7π.μ. / Orthros, 7a.m. (Live)

ΠΡΩΤΗ Θεία Λειτουργία, 8:30π.μ. / FIRST Divine Liturgy, 8:30a.m. (Live)

ΔΕΥΤΕΡΗ Θεία Λειτουργία, 11:00π.μ. / SECOND Divine Liturgy, 11:00a.m.

Monday, January 11th